Changes
by koodles4you
Summary: Dani's life is going to change, forever. (Corrected and kinda rewritten)


This is the edited version of a story I've already posted. It probably is still full of mistakes (because I could get something corrected 100 times and still have mistakes), but I would like to thank Tuesday. I learned a lot of stuff about my writing and grammar, and I enjoyed reading the corrections and trying to fix them. I own ya one.

"I don't believe you!" I yelled down the hall.

"Well, guess what? I don't care. You can think all you want, but it isn't going to get you your money back now is it?" Blink yelled back. He wasn't even trying to get the point across that he didn't steal it, all he bothered saying was that I wasn't getting my money back.

"I hate you!" I said venomously. Why did he have to be so evil?

"I hate you just as much, if not more." With that, Blink closed the door to the room he, Mush, and Crutchy shared.

I sat down on my bed and opened my empty wallet. Blink would never admit to it, but I know he stole the twenty dollars I had received yesterday, my birthday. At the orphanage every dollar we received was like gold. I knew that I had no proof that Blink stole it so I was basically screwed. I would have just sat and pitied myself if his voice hadn't interrupted my pity party.

"Who do you hate now?" A male voice, which I knew to be Jack, asked.

I looked up at him and glared. He was leaning on the doorframe, trying to be cool, but failing most egregiously. It was apparent he had heard my yelling, which I guess wasn't very hard to do. He smirked, coyly then came and sat next to me. Soon he planted a kiss on my head. I looked up at him curiously

"Don't touch me again, or I will scream molester." I threatened confused.

Jack apparently didn't take my threat seriously when he planted another one on my cheek.

"Molester!" I screamed. No one came to my aid. I looked over at Jack. He was still smirking coyly. If any other boy in the whole entire world had done that to me I would have killed him.

"What's really wrong?" Jack asked this time not touching me.

"Stupid Blink stole the twenty dollars I received for my birthday." I replied looking into my empty wallet once again. I thought this added a nice touch to my case.

"How do you know that he stole it?" Jack asked running his fingers through his hair. It seemed his hair was always in his face, but he refused to get it cut.

"I don't have any proof, but I know he did it." I replied trying to sound convincing.

He laughed. "You sound like a seven year old." He continued laughing.

"You won't be laughing when he steals from you." I closed my wallet, got up, and walked to the other side of the room where my purse was hanging. I dropped my wallet in it and busied myself with something on the desk.

"I'll soak him if he steals from me." Jack said grinning evilly. I didn't think Jack was one of those people who got thrills out of hurting people, but I could have been wrong, which wasn't uncommon.

"Soak?" I asked cluelessly turning to him.

"Like pulverize, beat up, kill, you know."

I shook my head. "Jack, you really need to get out of your old New York street talk phase. It's rather annoying." By now I too was smirking.

"I like it." Jack said defending himself.

Right after he said that the dinner bell rang. Jack and I walked to dinner together. Dinner that night was cheap spaghetti and garlic bread. However, I didn't get any bread because Jack and Race ate mine while I was washing my hands.

After dinner, I went the corner store with Race for a change of scenery. The orphanage wasn't a place you went to be alone, or to think about something. It was rather loud. If you wanted to be alone you had take a walk. There was, literally, no quiet place.

"Why don't you buy something?" Race asked while he was purchasing his slushy.

I looked around for a moment, seeing if there was anything I really wanted to buy anyway. "I'm broke." The anger I felt towards Blink was once again flowing freely. I wished bad things upon him. Like that he would sit on a tack, or the next time he got a double-decked strawberry ice-cream cone all the ice cream would fall off and land in Australia.But there was nothing I could do about either of those wishes, except sitting on a tack, and I wasn't going to plant tack somewhere Blink would sit.

"Wasn't your birthday yesterday? Shouldn't you have some money?" He looked at me puzzled.

"Someone stole it." I replied. Resisting telling him it was Blink.

"You have parents?"

I usually didn't talk about my biological family. I'm not sure why. It didn't make me want to cry or anything, it just wasn't a comfortable subject. "Yeah, I have a mom, but she wasn't ready for a baby when she had me, and her boyfriend, who happened to be my dad, thought that it was a good idea also. All of her friends told her to get an abortion, so I guess I'm lucky I'm still here."

He nodded he didn't bother saying anything. Not that either of us were filling with emotion or anything, but what was there to say?

"Where are your parents?" I asked stuffing my hands in the pockets of my corduroy pants.

"My mom died in child birth, and I lived with my dad for a while. He couldn't afford me anymore so he put me up for adoption." When Race finished, he was licking the straw that was at one time in his slushy.

"Man, that's harsh I'm sorry." I replied.

Race breathed out heavily, and didn't bother replying. Since I could tell the conversation was going nowhere I began to sing, it was another of my favorite past times, it drove everyone crazy. I figured Race would eventually get over it. Half way through the song we reached the orphanage, and Blink came out to meet me. I kept singing and totally ignored him.

"Here." Blink said scowling. He stuck my twenty-dollar bill in my pocket. Though him putting his hand in my pocket was kinda weird, I was glad to have my twenty dollars back. He made it obvious that he didn't want to give it back. I found this funny.

I smirked at him, I knew Jack made him give it back. And for that I was grateful. Though Jack watching after me was most of the time in my best interest, but it could get annoying. Jack was one of the oldest people in the orphanage; he had recently turned seventeen, and claimed to be leaving the minute he turned eighteen.

I went straight to bed after that. I had to get up early the next day to get to school; I had early detention, which was held, before school. I didn't know that there was even a concept such as "before school detention," but they did, indeed. I earned my sentence in detention by singing in class. My teacher was apparently not very fond of music. I was never able to understand why I was punished because my teacher was a prude.

The next morning I had to wake up Jack to take me to school. He drove me to school everyday, and that day he would have to drop me off earlier than usual. I gently opened the door to the room Jack, Race, and another boy named Spot shared. Quietly, I slipped next to Jacks bed and softly shook him. "Jack," I whispered. I sat on the side of him bed; I brushed the hair out of his face and whispered to him once more. One of his eyes opened to a slit, but quickly shut just as soon as it had opened.

"Dani, what do you want?" he whispered.

"A ride to school," I replied as nicely as possible. I felt bad for waking him up. But, then again I felt worse for myself having to go to before school detention.

"Shut up!" Spot said as loud as he could at such an early hour in the morning.

"I drive you to school every morning," Jack whispered as loud as he could, which wasn't very loud at all.

"I have before school detention, and you're the only one with a car." I stared down at him with my puppy dog eyes, and he slightly nodded.

Since Jack had agreed, I knew it went without saying that I was indebted to him and would have to do him a few favors. I set about getting to that before everyone else woke up. First I walked into the boys bathroom, which no boys were in, and turned on the shower, extra hot to wake him up. Then I went downstairs and put my backpack by the door. After that I headed to the kitchen and put two pop-tarts in the toaster for him, and I painted my nails so during detention I could scratch it off. It was silly, but peeling the paint off of my nails happened to be one of my favorite past times.

Jack came slowly walking down the stairs scowling. "Why did you put my shower that hot? My whole arm is burnt. You know what? Never mind, just get my breakfast and get in the car." With that I grabbed his pop-tarts and climbed into his old beat up truck.

"I'm sorry Jack," I apologized after he had entered the car.

"For what?" he asked, then sarcastically answered himself. "Waking me up early, making my shower scorching hot, or burning my pop-tarts?"

"They aren't burned," I said in defense. "Extra crispy, I thought you liked them that way."

Jack didn't respond. The rest of the trip was spent in silence. When we reached the school, Jack caught sight of his girlfriend and his entire expression and attitude did a complete 180. Suddenly, he was very happy to be awake.

"See, if I hadn't gotten detention you wouldn't have this extra hour of quality time with your girlfriend," I pointed out with a smile.

"Shut up, Dani," he said sounding exactly like Bill from 'Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure,' I apparently didn't mean anything when 'Molly' was around. That was fine with me. I had my own group of invisible friends that I hung out with anyway.

"Miss Parkerson you are late," Mr. Lulman, the PE teacher said. Once I had reached the science lab, which was used as the detention room before and after school.

"I couldn't get Jack up any earlier, and he drives me," I replied calmly determined to keep my composure.

"Then he should get up earlier. Sit down Miss Parkerson." Mr. Lulman was in a good mood, which was good to hear.

After I served my time, I realized how horrible before school detention is. When it was over I wanted nothing more than to go home, but no. I had a full day of school ahead of me. Crap.

My 'group,' if you prefer to call it that, is odd that's for sure. It consists of me, Dani - the orphan, Grace the rich girl whom no one can figure out why she hangs out with us, Shelby the born dramatic (sometimes so dramatic you wish you could smack her), and Ellie the girl no one gets, not even us.

"What ya wanna do today?" Shelby asked. She was a born Texan, she moved to Manhattan when her dad found a job up here.

"Don't care." Grace's low-key personality was showing.

"Let's hand out tracks at the mall!" Ellie suggested excitedly.

We all turned and looked at Ellie strangely (this seemed to happen a lot). "No, for two reasons. One I was talking about at school, and Two, you know I have a phobia of talking to people I don't know and annoying them." I said, these were one of those times you had to remember Ellie could sometimes be normal.

"Fine," Ellie replied, not surprised her idea was shot down.

"What's our first class?" Shelby asked.

"Marilyn, we all take different classes," Ellie reminded her. Shelby was sometimes called Marilyn because she was thoroughly obsessed with Marilyn Monroe.

"Hmmm." She replied her thoughts slowly coming back. "What are we gonna do? Guys we really need to come up with something."

"What exactly are we supposed to do at school?" Grace asked.

"We could spy on your really cute friend Dani," Ellie taunted. Everyone knew Ellie liked Race, even Race.

All of us sighed in unison. We all wished something drastic would happen between her and Race so she would shut up about him. Shelby, Grace, and I all had our eyes on celebrity men/boys. We decided that real boys were more trouble than they were worth, and it was more fun to joke about it anyway.

Shelby pulled her cell phone out of her purse. "I'm calling Jake Epstien."

Grace and I smirked and pulled ours out. "Christian Bale!" Grace yelled. "Keanu Reeves!" I yelled.

Shelby had wondered into her first class still on her phone. When the teacher saw the phone he took it up. Shelby wasn't to mad since it didn't truly work unless you were calling Jake Epstien she says. She wrote his name all over the phone, it was 'their' little love phone.

Grace and I put our phones away, and headed away to our first class which for me happened to be geometry.

The day seemed to pass extra slowly, and everyone else seemed to agree.

I went out to lunch everyday with Jack and his friends. Jack worked at a cheap place called 'Tibby's', which he got a discount at, and the rest of us just ate cheap.

I was never so happy to hear the lunch bell. I literally ran out of science and jumped in Jack's truck. I forced Molly into the back seat while I sat in the front.

"How has your day been?" Jack asked. I'm pretty sure he was directing that question to Molly but I answered.

"Slow…. so freakin' slow." I answered.

"Would you like to know how my day has been?" Jack asked.

"Not particularly." I said. He sent me the evil eye and told me about his day.

"I got detention within the first ten minutes of being in school because I was chewing gum. Then in world history I found out that I have to write one thousand word report on San Francisco in the late nineteenth century and Tommy Miller picked Santa Fe just to make me mad. San Francisco was the only other decent place to write about."

"Poor Jack," I taunted. "What is with your obsession with Santa Fe anyway? It's just a normal place like any other."

"You have to agree our lives kinda suck. When you want to escape you think of _The Lion King_, read, I don't know, you do something to get away. When I want to escape I think of Santa Fe, it's just something I've become attached to for no reason." Jack stopped; I was about to reply when Molly put her arms around his seat and started rubbing his chest in a way she thought to be loving, Jack and I found it revolting.

"Jack, I'm so sorry, I should have been more compassionate. I'm so sorry I will never understand what you are going through, but I want to, please help me understand." Molly should have cried and gave it the perfect affect. She was also blessed with a dramatic flair in addition to her other annoying habits, I'm still not sure what Jack saw in that girl.

In most movies this would be the point where the boy gets all emotional and realizes that's the girl he's going to spend the rest of his life with. But Jack only looked scared. While her hands were rubbing his chest, his eyes were squinting in confusion. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and I slapped her hand.

"Stop touching him." I commanded "He's driving, you're distracting him, and for once I don't want to die."

Jack nodded and looked thoroughly relieved to have Molly's hands off him. It was then that I got a distinct feeling that their relationship was about to come to a screeching halt.

After lunch we went back to school. Nothing happened besides Shelby breaking up with her boyfriend of two days, then crying all gym since it didn't seem to bother him at all that she broke up with him. I wasn't to worried; she would most likely find new love the next day.

Jack dropped me off at home before going to the mall to buy something stupid. He was said to be home shortly. I didn't care I had days worth of homework from mini-Satan's, oh I mean teachers.

Ten minutes after Jack had arrived Mrs. Lilin, the woman who was head of the orphanage, called all the older children into the meal room to tell us some 'important' news.

I found a comfortable spot on the floor near Race and Jack.

"You're wearing my sweatshirt." Mush commented.

"That is true." I replied. "It's comfortable, warm, and clean. It called to me."

"Dani, I hope you know that if you get that dirty I will personally kill." It was hard to take Mush seriously since he was so cute looking.

"Thanks but I…" Race shushed me and pointed to the front of the room, where Mrs. Lilin was standing.

"Boys and girls." She began. "I've got some good news for you. All the children will be taking trips all around the country this coming fall!"

No one clapped; no one was quite sure what she meant. The orphanage was poor. It had no money to spend on anything but necessities. You think the state would have taken better care of us, but if you did think this, you'd be incredibly wrong.

Jack, being the blunt person he was asked the question we were all wondering. "With what? We can hardly afford food every week, and now we're taking trips all over the country?"

Mrs. Lilin smirked at Jacks question. "I was hoping you would ask that. There is a program called 'Creating a Nation' that gives places like this an opportunity to send our older children to different parts of the country. While you are in this different part of the country you will be learning life skills by apprenticing at different places. I picked the place by thinking of distinct place you have shown interest in. You can either go to Los Angeles, California, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, or Santa Fe, New Mexico." Everyone cheered. There was a place for everyone.

Soon the room was filled with our chatter. Everyone had a placed they hoped to visit or a job they wanted to apprentice. I wasn't really sure where I wanted to go. Jack wanted to go to Santa Fe, _surprisingly_. Most of the boys wanted to go there actually. I doubt it was because they really wanted to, it was probably because they just wanted to be with Jack. I guess the place I most wanted to go was Santa Fe for the same reasons as the other boys, just to be around Jack. Not that I liked him, just that he was my best friend in the orphanage.

"You think she's already picked out where we're going?" Mush asked.

"Yeah, probably," Race replied.

She began again. "I have chosen the place you will be going but the job you will apprentice is up to you. I will call you into my office according to your age and will tell you the place I have decided for you."

"You wanna go to the one in Santa Fe?" I asked Jack.

"Of course, who doesn't?" he asked in response. "I think I'm going to like the country more than the city. It's quiet and peaceful out there."

"How do you know?" Mush asked. "It could be boring and irksome out there."

"Irksome?" I asked incredulously, Mush was the last person I could see saying that word. "Studying the dictionary lately?"

"No, it's just a good word," he said in defense. I left it there.

Spot sauntered over. "I'm going to Santa Fe, I'm making her put me there. All the other ones are lame, what else is there?" Spot was a rather demanding person if you couldn't already tell.

"Why would you complain about Santa Fe? That is the best thing ever! What are you smoking?" Jack asked in awe that anyone wouldn't be happy with visiting Santa Fe.

"Apparently less than you. You're so freakin' weird about Santa Fe. You should get off the pot dude." This snide comment earned Spot a bruised arm, compliments of Jack and his anger issues.

Of course Spot didn't let it sit there. He hit Jack right back. They were about to break into a full out fistfight, but Mush and I stopped them. I climbed on top of Mush and put my hand over him mouth and made-out with my hand for a moment. This disturbed them long enough to stop the fight. I climbed off Mush and sat back down innocently. They just looked at me.

Mrs. Lilin began calling the age groups into her office. I didn't pay attention to the other age groups but I remember when she called mine, fourteen through fifteen, which was me. "I have picked out a place for each of you to visit, but I would like to hear where you would prefer to go." Mrs. Lilin said once everyone between the ages of fourteen through fifteen entered.

Most girls picked Los Angeles. I felt kind of weird telling her I wanted to go to Santa Fe. She just nodded and walked by. I hoped that just because I was a girl I wouldn't have to go to Los Angeles.

Mrs. Lilin sat back down in her chair, as we stood against the back wall of her office. "I'm glad to hear all of your preferences, and am pleased to say that most of you will be happy with my choice.

"Very few people will be going on the Santa Fe. There are not many places that you can apprentice there. With that said, I will announce which trip you are going on."

Mrs. Lilin announced what trip we were to be going on. The room was littered with happy and upset faces, two of the girls from my group were chosen to go on the trip to Santa Fe, neither one was me. Did she think I was unready for the trip? All I could think about was why I had to go on the stupid Cleveland trip. I wasn't upset about this, I was horrified. I wasn't going to make a big deal out of it, but Mrs. Lilin apparently was.

"Dani can I see you before you leave please?" she asked. What was I supposed to say 'No, I don't want to talk to you.'? I was screwed. I didn't respond. I just stayed.

"Dani, I know you wanted to be on the trip to Santa Fe, but I just don't think it would be good for you. And it would be more beneficial for you to be split from Jack. You spend too much time with him and the other boys here. I don't know who you talk to at school, but here you hardly ever talk to the other girls in your room, and I'm not sure if that's good for you. By going on this trip you will make new friends, hopefully some girls. Maybe if we do this again next year you can go, but this year I think it would be best if you did something without Jack."

"Can I go now?" I was already sick of Mrs. Lilin and her stupid notions.

"Yes, will you call the other children in?" I slowly nodded as I headed for the door.

"Hey where are you going?" Spot asked.

"Cleveland, because I'm only hanging out with the boys while I'm here, and it's not healthy," I replied mimicking Mrs. Lilin's voice.

"Hmmm didn't really like you anyway," he laughed "Just kidding, that blows."

"Yeah, have fun wherever you are going," I said walking up the stairs. I kind of forgot to send the older children in her office, so she eventually did it herself.

When I got to my room Shannon, Katie, and Kimmy were already sprawled all over the floor talking about the trips they were taking.

"What trip did you get Dani?" Kimmy asked in pure excitement, which I found revolting.

"Cleveland" I said monotone.

"We all got Los Angeles" Katie yelled before all the girls screamed in unison. I guess they were happy about their trip. The happiness was making me ill, so I left. I walked to Jack's room, which at the moment was vacant. I crawled into his bed, and tried to sleep; slowly I was drifting away to a land where all of my problems seemed so small and petty.

I later awoke to Jack carrying me back to my bed. I yawned and opened my eyes.

"Jack, you should have woke me up, I would have walked to my bed." I sighed pitifully.

"I didn't wake you up for your own sake." Jack whispered. "Close your eyes and pretend to be asleep again," he commanded.

I did, I was happy to oblige. Actually I did one better, I didn't pretend to be asleep, I fell back asleep in his arms. The next morning I opened my eyes, to light, and the smell of breakfast. I looked over; Jack was sleeping on the floor.

I wasn't sure what to do. Then I remembered the previous night, and carrying me from his room to mine.

"Why are you here?" I asked bluntly, I was amazed at how fast I woke up that morning.

He opened one eye, then shut it again and yawned. "I was watching you, and I guess I fell asleep," Jack said rubbing his eyes.

"You just happen to fall asleep under a blanket, head on a pillow on my floor?" I asked again. He didn't reply, so I asked another question. "Why were you watching me?"

"After breakfast you are supposed to go into Mrs. Lilins office and talk about that exact reason."

I stepped out of my bed, and headed for my closet. I went in the tiny room, so Jack couldn't see me change. I pulled on a Teen-age Mutant Turtles T-shirt and a pair of jeans, then went down stairs for breakfast. Breakfast was cold when I got down there. I didn't care too much today, I was too busy thinking of what was so important that Jack, a boy, could sleep in one of the girls rooms. When I finished half my bowl of cold oatmeal I knocked at Mrs. Lilin's door. She gave me permission to enter, and I did. She looked very uncomfortable upon seeing me.

"Are you okay?" She looked worried about something. Like something was bothering her and she hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night.

"No, actually I'm not. Danielle come sit down. There's something I need to tell you." I sat down. The chair was old and most of the padding had been worn out. I hoped the talk was short because the chair was so uncomfortable. "The reason I let Jack sleep in the same room with you last night was because someone was here to see you, and I wanted someone to be with you when you woke up, and if the person made it up the stairs I wanted someone there with you." Mrs. Lilin was making me uncomfortable. Her tone told me the news she was carrying would not be pleasant.

"It's your mother. She died a few days ago in a car accident. And your grandmother came to visit you." Mrs. Lilin was a strong woman no where near the verge or tears, neither was I.

"Why didn't she get me fourteen and a half years ago?" I finally asked, breaking the silence.

Mrs. Lilin looked up at me like she knew what I was going through. "I guess you'll have to ask her when you meet her today."

"Today?" I questioned quietly.

She sighed. "The reason I had Jack sleep with you was your grandmother was so set on seeing you she almost ran up those stairs, and if she did happen to get up them I wanted Jack there. The only way I could get her to leave without seeing you was to arrange a date for the two of you today." She paused. "It's in two hours. Is that enough time?"

"Yeppers," I replied hiding how I really felt about this whole thing.

I left her office without asking. I needed to go think. I wasn't like dying emotionally. It was just a lot to think about. I need time alone.

Jack was still in my room. I began gathering the things I would need to shower.

He lifted his head and looked at me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I responded, trying to sound confident. "Why wouldn't I be? You think I can't handle it?"

He didn't do any kind of response to this comment. I was glad he didn't show me sympathy. I could handle Mrs. Lilin giving it to me, but not Jack. Jack was my friend.


End file.
